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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300350">In the Midnight Hour</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian'>xtremeroswellian</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Jericho (US 2006)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Heather Lisinski is a good friend, Spoilers for Oversight, The X-Files References</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 12:22:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>407</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Heather does Jake a big favor. Jake feels guilty for asking.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jake Green &amp; Heather Lisinski</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In the Midnight Hour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Heather Lisinski who returned to Jericho after being away for six months was not the same woman who’d left him with the promise to be back in a few days.</p>
<p>The woman who’d left him had been sweet, shy, optimistic, and cheerful.</p>
<p>Jake watched as she passed him without so much as a glance, heading directly for Major Beck’s office.</p>
<p>Gone were the sunny smile and bright eyes he remembered from the not-so-distant past. They were replaced by a grim expression and eyes that now reflected the presence of demons she’d not uttered to a soul.</p>
<p>Jake couldn’t help but notice the other changes, as well--her pale skin and the weight she’d lost made her but a wisp of the woman she’d once been.</p>
<p>Another person he’d let down.</p>
<p>He should never have let her go to New Bern. He should have gone after her when the first wind turbine had come to Jericho and she hadn’t been with it.</p>
<p>And now.</p>
<p>Now he’d dragged her into the middle of trouble so deep, he wasn’t sure any of them would survive it.</p>
<p>He rubbed his hands over his face, shutting his eyes.</p>
<p>Dammit.</p>
<p>Sometimes he was such an asshole.</p>
<p>* * *</p>
<p>“Here it is. I hope you can make sense of it.” Her voice was distant as she handed the paper to him.</p>
<p>“I can’t, but Hawkins will be able to,” Jake said quietly.</p>
<p>She met his gaze and held it. “Do you trust him?”</p>
<p>“Yes.” Jake gazed back at her, then folded the sheet and tucked it into his pocket.</p>
<p>Heather nodded ever-so-slightly and turned to go.</p>
<p>“Wait.”</p>
<p>She paused, then turned to face him once more.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry I dragged you into this. The last thing I want is for you to be in anymore danger than you’ve already been.” His eyes were sad .</p>
<p>Heather tilted her head to the side and gazed at him intently. “A wise man once said…every day, every life is in danger.”</p>
<p>His eyebrows furrowed a little. “Who said that?”</p>
<p>“Assistant Director Walter Skinner.”</p>
<p>He shook his head, puzzled.</p>
<p>“What? You’ve never seen the X-Files?” A faint hint of amusement glittered in her blue eyes and he smiled.</p>
<p>She smiled faintly and headed out the back door of Bailey’s.</p>
<p>“Heather?”</p>
<p>“Yeah?”</p>
<p>Thanks,” he said quietly.</p>
<p>She met his eyes once more. “Be safe, Jake.”</p>
<p>“You too.” He drew in a breath and watched as she disappeared into the night.</p>
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